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Abstract Algebra Lecture Notes 33

1) A group G acts on a set S if we specify a group homomorphism from G to the permutation group of S. This defines the action of each element of G as a bijection on S. 2) For any subsets G1 of G and S1 of S, the set G1S1 is the set of all gx where g is in G1 and x is in S1. 3) For each x in S, the G-orbit of x is the set Gx of all gx for g in G, and two orbits are either the same or disjoint.

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63 views2 pages

Abstract Algebra Lecture Notes 33

1) A group G acts on a set S if we specify a group homomorphism from G to the permutation group of S. This defines the action of each element of G as a bijection on S. 2) For any subsets G1 of G and S1 of S, the set G1S1 is the set of all gx where g is in G1 and x is in S1. 3) For each x in S, the G-orbit of x is the set Gx of all gx for g in G, and two orbits are either the same or disjoint.

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ABSTRACT ALGEBRA LECTURE NOTES 33

12. WK8 Group Actions on Sets

We say that a group G acts on or operates on a set S, if we specify a group homo-


morphism
f : G ! Perm(S).
We call such a homomorphism a G-action on S. For each g 2 G, f (g) : S ! S is therefore
a bijection. In this context, it is convenient to write for x 2 S,
gx ⌘ f (g)(x)
whenever the role f is understood. Observe that f : G ! Perm(S) is a group homomor-
phism is equivalent to the group action identities:
(12.1) (GA1) ex = x, (GA2) g1 (g2 x) = (g1 g2 )x, 8g1 , g2 2 G, 8x 2 S.
For any subsets G1 ⇢ G, S1 ⇢ S, we can put
G1 S1 := {gx|g 2 G1 , x 2 S1 } ⇢ S.
Then from (GA2) it follows that
(G1 G2 )S1 = G1 (G2 S1 )
so we can drop the parentheses. When there is a G-action on the set S, we also use the
notation G y S.
Exercise 12.1. HW5 In two lines, prove that specifying a G-action f : G ! Perm(S) is
equivalent to specifying a map
G ⇥ S ! S, (g, x) 7! gx
satisfying the group action identities (12.1). Let S be the two member sets {x0 , x1 }, and
define G ⇥ S ! S, (g, x) 7! x0 . Show that this map satisfies GA2 but not GA1. In fact,
f (g)(x) := gx does not define a bijection f : S ! S.

Given a G-action on S, for x 2 S, we call the set


Gx := {gx|g 2 G}
the G-orbit of x. Note that y 2 Gx i↵ y = gx for some g 2 G, i↵ Gx = Ggy = Gy. Thus,
two G-orbits in S are either the same or disjoint. This shows that

each x 2 S lies in exactly one G-orbit, namely Gx.


Example 12.2. (Conjugation action) The familiar map G ⇥ G ! G, (g, h) 7! ghg 1 ,
defines a G-action on G itself. The orbits are precisely the conjugacy classes of G.
Example 12.3. (Left translation action) The familiar map G ⇥ G ! G, (g, h) 7! gh,
defines a G-action on G itself. There is exactly one orbit, namely G itself.
Example 12.4. (Linear actions) Let G = GLn (R) be the group of all n ⇥ n real matrices,
where the group law is matrix multiplication. Then the usual matrix-on-vector product
GLn (R) ⇥ Rn ! Rn , (A, v) = Av
defines a G-action on the set Rn . We say that this action is linear because it satisfies that
linearity property, namely the identity
A( 1 v1 + 2 v2 ) = 1 Av1 + 2 Av2 , 8vi 2 Rn , 8 i 2 R.
34 BONG H. LIAN

Example 12.5. (Translation on left coset space) Let H be a subgroup of a group G.


Define
G ⇥ G/H ! G/H, 7! (g, xH) = gxH.
Check that this is a group action of G on the set G/H.
Exercise 12.6. Define the analogous group action of G on the right coset space H\G,
and verify your assertion. (Hint: There is a subtle point that you should be careful with.)
Exercise 12.7. HW5* Consider a group action G y S. It is e↵ective if gx = x,
8x 2 S, implies that g = eG ; equivalently s the action homomorphism G ! Perm(S) is
injective. The action is transitive if there is just one orbit, i.e. if for any x 2 S, we
have S = {gx|g 2 G}. Decide which of the following G-action is e↵ective, and which one
is transitive. You must prove your assertions.
(a) GLn (R) y Rn by left matrix multiplications on column vectors in Rn .
(b) G y G/H by left coset translations, where H is a subgroup of G. (Decide for which
subgroups H this action is e↵ective, likewise transitive.)
(c) G y H by conjugations, where H is a subgroup of G. (Decide for what types of
subgroups H this action is e↵ective, likewise transitive; give a necessary and sufficient
condition.
Example 12.8. (Cycles in Sn revisted) Let 2 Sn . Then the cyclic h i acts on the
set Jn = {1, 2, .., n}. Let ⌧1 , .., ⌧k denotes the list of distinct non-singleton orbits of this
action. By arranging each orbit ⌧i as an increasing list of integers, we can view ⌧i as a
cycle in Jn . Then the disjoint cycle decomposition of is nothing but
= ⌧1 · · · ⌧k .
In other words, the DCD of can be thought of as a special case of orbit decomposition
of h i acting on the set Jf
n ⇢ Jn of elements not left invariant by .

Theorem 12.9. Let G act on S, and x 2 S. Let Gx := {g 2 G|gx = x} (not to be


confused with Gx!!), called the isotropy group of x. Then Gx ⇢ G is a subgroup, and the
map
G/Gx ! Gx, gGx 7! (gGx )x = {gx} ⌘ gx.
is a bijection. In particular, if G is finite (or even if G is infinite but (G : Gx ) is finite)
then
#(Gx) = (G : Gx ).

Proof. By (12.1), Gx is a subgroup. The map above is clearly surjective. Suppose


g1 Gx , g2 Gx have the same image: g1 x = g2 x. Then g1 1 g2 x = x, hence g1 1 g2 2 Gx ,
and so g1 Gx = g2 Gx . Thus the map is also injective, completing the proof. ⇤
There are three immediate and important applications.
Theorem 12.10. (Orbit Decomposition Theorem) If S is finite, then for any group G
acting on S,
Xr
#S = (G : Gxi )
i=1

where x1 , .., xr representatives of the distinct G-orbits in S.

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